CAR CRIME FALLS AS POLICE BLITZ OWNERS

POLICE officers say car crime has fallen by 65 per in Wokingham in recent weeks due to a campaign warning motorists against leaving valuables on view in their cars.

Operation Ensue monitored 1,000 cars parked at pubs, golf courses and leisure centres in the district, keeping a check on what was left on show.

Volunteers helping police survey the pre-identified hot-spots were shocked by what they saw with briefcases, laptop computers and, in one instance, airline tickets left on show.

After seeing items that would tempt an opportunist thief to break into a car, the volunteers traced the owners on the spot and handed out auto-crime prevention advice.

Hot spots identified in the scheme were pubs, social clubs, sports centres and golf clubs — particularly those along the Wokingham Road, Sonning Lane and the Whitley to Arborfield Road.

Now measures are being introduced to stop the thieves including better lighting in car parks, the removal of hedges and bushes and changing the direction that cars are parked so they can be seen from inside premises.

Sandy Bartley, manager of the Black Boy Inn in Shinfield Road, is one of the landlords who has been co-operating with the police.

She said: "We are pleased to do all we can to protect our customers and ensure offenders get the message that they are not welcome at our venue.

"It has gone down well with all our customers who have been quite surprised to receive a visit at the bar by our volunteers."

"However, the offences are still being committed and we recognise that it is a concern for the residents in the area, which is why we have pledged to take action.

"Compared to other crimes there is still a large amount of vehicle crime, most of which is committed by opportunist thieves.

"However, auto-crime is such an easy offence to prevent.

"The volunteers have been quite shocked by the personal items people leave on display in their vehicles, offering a strong temptation to offenders.

"In some cases the cars were not even locked."

Between April 2001 and the end of February 2002 there were 1,020 offences of vehicle crime in the Wokingham police sector, which included theft of and theft from vehicles as well as vehicle interference.

Between April 2002 and the end of February this year there were 938 offences, a drop of eight per cent.

Between February 14 and May 14, 2002, there were 46 auto crimes in the three hotspot areas, compared to 16 offences in the same period this year, a reduction of 65 per cent.